No matter how many clothes you have in your wardrobe, I’m pretty sure you’ve caught yourself saying at some stage, “I’ve got nothing to wear” and felt the need to hit the shops and buy more.
Now, a number is very subjective, and despite the title of this blog, I’m certainly not going to tell you how many clothes you should own. But I’d like to help you look at the items in your wardrobe and decide for yourself whether it’s too little or too much. Perhaps more importantly, I want to help you make your wardrobe work harder for you so you don’t feel the need to hit the shops and reduce the “morning friction” of getting dressed.
The Math of My Wardrobe (Why 60 Items is Plenty for me)
A few years ago, I went on a clothes shopping diet for one year which led me to conduct a series of experiments with my wardrobe. One of them was about evaluating the number of outfits I could create based on the number of items of clothing I owned.
At the time of that experiment, I had roughly 60 items of clothing in my wardrobe
- including 20 tops, 20 bottoms, 15 dresses and 5 jackets and cardigans
- excluding sleepwear, underwear, swimwear, winterwear, scarves, belts, handbags, and shoes.
I wouldn’t have claimed that I had nothing to wear, but 60 items of clothing didn’t seem much to me, and I thought it could be the reason why I sometimes felt bored with my clothes, and felt like shopping.
The 180-Outfit Revelation
The experiment consisted in building a two-by-two matrix with my tops and bottoms. After some time spent trying on clothes over the course of a few weekends (it was fun, although a bit tiring!), I concluded that I could create about 180 outfits with my 20 tops, 20 bottoms, and 15 dresses.
That meant that theoretically, I would only wear the same outfit twice a year, and that was before even accessorising it with a jacket or cardigan, a scarf, some jewellery, a pair of shoes, and a handbag.
This was a big a-ha moment! I was certainly prepared to wear the same outfit more than twice a year! This completely shifted my perspective and made me realise that I had enough, if not too many, clothes. The boredom I felt couldn’t be justified by the number of items I owned.
Breaking the Cycle of Buying More
It also made me realise that adding more clothes wasn’t necessarily making getting dressed easier. In fact, extra clothes and the extra combinations you can create out of them often lead to wardrobe decision fatigue.
It appeared to me then that the solution to outfit boredom was not about adding more, but about being more intentional with what I already had.
Here are three gentle tactics I now use to make my wardrobe work harder for me and make getting dressed easier.
3 Manageable Ways to Rediscover Your Clothes
1. Using Colour Theory to Simplify Decisions
I invested in a colour wheel and learned the basics behind colour combinations. Learning these “rules” isn’t about being restricted; it’s about having a formula to follow when you don’t have the mental energy to be “creative” from scratch. Key combinations include:
- Monochromatic colours: Different shades of one colour for a subtle and conservative effect.
- Complementary colours: Colours opposite each other on the wheel for an eye-catching effect.
- Analogous colours: Three colours beside each other on the wheel for a soothing effect.
- Triadic colours: Three colours that form a triangle on the wheel for a bold effect.
I’ve become a big fan of combining blue and orange (complementary colour combination) and was very pleased with the outfit below, combining red, orange and pink (analogous colour combination) that I would never have thought of putting together otherwise.
2. Creating a Visual “Outfits Database”
Once in a while, I pick up an item of clothing I hardly wear, or always wear in the same way, and spend some time trying it with other items I wouldn’t necessarily pair it with. My aim is to create at least 5 outfits with this item.
I make sure to take a picture of those outfits so I can tap into my “database” when I’m short of ideas.
This has now become second nature; every time I buy something new, I ask myself if I can pair it with 5 other items and I will try the combinations once I reach home.
3. Dressing Based on a Theme
When I’m stuck or feeling bored, I use a theme as a source of inspiration. Here is a list of weekly themes I’ve experimented with:
- Clothes type: e.g., (pretty) dresses, skirts, shorts.
- Base colour: e.g., navy, black, beige, grey.
- Colours never combined before.
- Prints and patterns.
- Clothes never worn before or not worn for the last 6 months.
- Clothes I am not sure about.
It also helps me to get rid of the clothes that don’t bring much value to my wardrobe.
Progress Over Perfection: Documenting the Journey
I hope the above can give you some inspiration to create more outfits out of the contents of your wardrobe. Whichever of these tactics you decide to experiment with, I would recommend starting a journal so you can document your experiments.
Take pictures of your outfits. Add comments on how they make you feel, what you’ve learned, and outfits you are ready to try again, or not.
It does take some time, but think about the time and money you’ll save by not systematically hitting the shops. And next time you do, I can guarantee you you’ll be more intentional about what to buy.
FAQs
There is no “perfect” number, but as my experiment showed, even 60 items can provide 180 outfits. The goal is to find a volume that fits your physical space and reduces decision fatigue.
It is the mental exhaustion caused by having too many choices. Reducing the volume of your wardrobe helps lower the “friction” of getting dressed, saving your energy for more important tasks.
Start with the “Rule of Three.” Before buying something new, ask yourself if you can pair it with at least three items you already own. It’s a gentle way to ensure a new purchase adds value to your wardrobe without adding to the overwhelm. As you become more confident in recognising your personal style, you might eventually aim for the “Rule of Five” to ensure even greater versatility.
Finding Your Enough
Perhaps the answer to “How many clothes do I need?” isn’t a fixed number, but a volume that allows you to feel calm and confident. By trying these small, manageable experiments, you are building a system that protects your daily energy.
I’d love to hear from you: Which part of your wardrobe causes you the most “morning friction” right now? Is it the volume, or the struggle to see the combinations you already have?
Ready to take the next step?
If you’re feeling ready to move from “knowing the math” to physically clearing the space, you might find my free Quick Wardrobe Fix guide helpful. For a deeper dive into creating a wardrobe you love, you can explore my Wardrobe Bliss on-demand course. We take it one manageable layer at a time.
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